A Preah Sihanouk water treatment plant has declared an end to water shortages in the province, even in the summer. Water distribution however, remains a problem in some areas, according to local residents.
Nam Kie Teng, managing director of Anco Water Company in Preah Sihanouk, told The Post that the current demand for clean water in the province was for 80,000cu m per day, while his company’s water treatment plant was capable of producing up to double that.
“This exceptional production excess has helped us gain the confidence of the public,” he said.
“They no longer need to worry about a shortfall in the production of safe, clean water – even during the summer, when demand increases,” he added.
However, residents of CT Street in Sihanoukville’s Sangkat 3 have complained that the diameter of the pipes used to supply water to the area is inadequate for the population. This results in very low water pressure, which does not meet the needs of users.
Suy Chanthea, a village representative in the area, told The Post that villagers had asked the company to replace the smaller pipes with larger ones to improve water pressure.
“Because the network of main pipes in my area is old and small, during the day, the water pressure is so weak as to be unusable,” he said.
He called on the company to send engineers to study the network and make changes before the summer arrived. He feared that demand for water would rise and the system would become even weaker.
Kie Teng, however, explained that the water supply in that location is managed by the Sihanoukville Water Supply Authority (SWSA) and replacing the old system of pipes would be the responsibility of the SWSA.
“As far as I know, there are no plans to replace the old system of pipes,” he said.
